SB Nation - Ahmad Paige

Talking Points: on Gus Malzahn and Monte Kiffin

Joel — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:22:02 -0000

What exactly did Gus Malzahn do that was so successful against Monte Kiffin? He ran his offense. One specific: he was focused on getting Tennessee out of its five-man front and into a four-man front against which Auburn could better run the ball. How did he get that fifth guy out of there? The article doesn't say (I don't think -- another hurried morning), but I'd guess that the explanation uses the word "spread."
Perhaps there should be some progressive discipline for chop block repeat offenders:

Wes Brown, Auburn's latest victim, is fine and taking the high road. Unlike me.

Also not taking the high road is whatever Vol fan sent Trooper Taylor a taunting letter last week and forging Lane Kiffin's and Eric Berry's signatures to the thing.

Well this is distressing. When I said on the podcast last night that I thought that the offense had actually improved over the 2008 version but that it was just hard to see among the comedy of errors, I had not yet read John Adams's Sunday column saying the same thing. If I have time to write tonight, I'll take a look at the actual numbers and post them tomorrow morning, but the main point is that although it's quite understandable to pull out the archived reactions of 2008 and hit "play" when Jonathan Crompton's falling down alone in the backfield and the receivers are trying to catch passes with their helmets, it might be getting in the way of seeing some actual improvement.

John Adams also recaps Tennessee's receiver woes from the departure of Ahmad Paige in the spring to yesterday's release of Brandon Warren. Warren's dismissal, by the way, wasn't just for his sideline outburst Saturday but, reading between the lines, for a much longer "show of emotion." Translation: ongoing attitude problem. Now we're just looking for the other three to four players that make up the infamous "five percent."

Talking Points: Eric Berry reportedly slower than his younger brothers

Joel — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 11:41:02 -0000

Have you heard we need a QB? Hooper's got everything you need to know about the Lamaison thing, but according to John Adams, history has not been kind to junior college QBs in the SEC. Notwithstanding history, though, Lamaison would be a welcome addition. And Jesse Scroggins? Still not announcing until July 25.
Somebody sell tickets. Eric Berry says there's a race set up for some time next year between him and his younger twin brothers. Evan recently ran the 100 meters in 11.25 seconds, and Elliot almost kept up that pace over 200 meters. Eric's not taking them lightly and is in training for the event already. By the way, Eric said that Evan actually committed to the Vols before he did, so perhaps he is slower. ;-)

Love it. Montario Hardesty on the new offense:

"I love it. I love it, man," he said, literally gushing. "It's the same scheme I ran in high school. You hit the line running, and the holes open up. I love it ... love it."

I love the sound of that.

Talking to the right people. Daniel Lincoln is trying to get his groove back by reaching out to former UT kickers Fuad Reveiz, Jeff Hall, and James Wilhoit (same link as above).

That whole wide receiver thing? This puts it into perspective quite nicely:

The Vols finished spring practice with eight scholarship receivers. When sophomores Ahmad Paige and Tyler Maples decided to transfer, the number dropped to a half-dozen.

Now the six has become three.

Yeah, so having our entire returning receiving corps consist of Quintin Hancock, Brandon Warren, and Todd Campbell means we'll need help from tight ends Jeff Cottam, Luke Stocker, and Ben Bartholomew and incoming freshmen Nu'Keese Richardson, James Green, Marsalis Teague, and Zach Rogers. Lotsa newness in that list of names.

No thanks. The NFL supplemental draft passes on Demetrice Morley.

Cheese. Spencer Hall on Travis Henry's poor decision to take on the feds.

Tougher'n a pine cone toilet seat. And via the magic of sharing on Google Reader (another chest bump to Spencer), another college coach who doubles as a quote machine:

Talking points: Yes, that is all edition

Joel — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:40:35 -0000

Tennessee football

Scout.com: Gerald Jones has wrist surgery
He's expected to be back at full strength in time for the start of preseason camp.
Ahmad Paige transfers to Louisiana Tech : Football : GoVolsXtra.com

Tennessee basketball

Tyler Smith is foregoing the NBA and Europe and returning to Tennessee for his senior season. Phillip Jurick is transferring.

Talking points: you go fight some mo!

Joel — Mon, 11 May 2009 11:56:35 -0000

Tennessee football

The Number of the Day is 11. Somebody must have sent out a memo or something because every major online news outlet has a story on the fact that 11 players have left the program since Lane Kiffin took over. The last four out were Tyler Maples, Ahmad Paige, B.J. Coleman, and Darris Sawtelle. John Adams says not to fret, because the team didn't really lose all that much and because it's a relatively minor negative side effect of a bigger positive: Lane Kiffin's brutal candor with his players. Also, 11 Vol football players will be working on a master's degree this fall. Good for them. Good for the five more who will be finishing a second undergraduate degree, too.
No hard feelings. Former Vol linebacker and GA Kevin Simon, who worked for the new Kiffin regime for about seven weeks before ultimately being let go and then taking a position as a scout for the Dallas Cowboys, has nothing but good things to say about Kiffin. He thinks Tennessee shouldn't lose more than three or four games. This year. Really.
Former Vol Mark Jones has signed as a free agent with the Tennessee Titans and is looking forward to an opportunity to replace Chris Carr as the Titans' return man. Who else besides me misses that dude?
An under-the-radar innovation. One of Tennessee's new GAs -- read, not- or under-paid football coach -- is Mitch Browning, who has 27 years' experience. Browning decided that the opportunity to work essentially for free under Monte Kiffin was better than any other opportunity out there for a guy with great experience, and it's a great way for Lane Kiffin to add more experience to the coaching roster than any other program in the country.
Twenty questions. Tom Mattingly recounts some of the more interesting questions he's been asked about Tennessee football over the years.

Tennessee basketball

Dane Bradshaw and Clint Dowdle are having a basketball camp June 29-July 3 at Farragut Middle School. Follow the link for more information.

SEC

Mark Richt has suspended two players for multiple games. Junior tight end Bruce Figgins loses six games and sophomore defensive end Justin Houston loses two games, reportedly for violating Georgia's substance abuse policy.

NCAA

Tomahawk Nation does some heavy lifting in looking at FSU's rushing defense the way it should be viewed: without accounting for sacks.
Rick Pitino is apparently not interested in the Sacramento Kings job after all.
And a little something to get you started this Monday morning (chest bump to Gate 21 for the find):

Friday Scrimmage Notes

Will — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:26:17 -0000

Based on reports from KNS and VolQuest, we're either really really good on the defensive front, or our quarterbacks are going to be running for their lives.

Brent Hubbs ($) called the pass protection "horrific...just terrible." The UT release via the News-Sentinel (with stats) credits the defense with eight (!) sacks and an additional seven tackles for loss. Chris "Unblockable" Walker had two sacks and three TFLs, including a safety. Josh McNeil did not start at center.

The turnovers were down for the offense, no interceptions and only one fumble. Jonathan Crompton went 8 of 11 for 91 yards with the ones, and BJ Coleman was 11 of 16 for 151 yards and 2 TDs in backup duty. Nick Stephens was only 2 of 4, and unfortunately for him it appears his wrist injury really cost him an opportunity this spring.

Rushing numbers make you feel better about the offense: Montario Hardesty starts with 8 carries for 38 yards, and Tauren Poole finishes with 11 for 80 and a touchdown. And when the passing game did get it working, the wealth was spread around: while fullback Ben Bartholomew led the way with 4 catches for 53 yards and a touchdown, Quintin Hancock (who got the start again), Gerald Jones and Austin Rogers each had three catches. Ahmad Paige returned to relevant action with a touchdown grab, and Brandon Warren showed up with two catches for 16 yards.

In other news, John Brice ($) is reporting that Wes Brown will need knee surgery and is done for the spring. The emergence of Montori Hughes has never been more important, and here's hoping Brown is 100% by fall.

The team gets the Easter weekend off before returning to work Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday next week, with action concluding with the Orange & White Game in eight days.

Talking points: Saturday scrimmage roundup edition

Joel — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 12:11:28 -0000

Tennessee football

We won! Tennessee had another game-like scrimmage on Saturday, and depending on which article you're reading, the offense/defense got the better of the defense/offense, which is a good thing, I guess. If you're the offense/defense.
QBs. Jonathan Crompton went 9-16 for 90 yards in seven possessions against the first-team defense, and four of those possessions ended with punts or interceptions. He also fumbled once when Chris Walker hit him, but he recovered the ball. B.J. Coleman was 17-of-22 for 112 yards with no interceptions, but he didn't have to contend with Walker and the rest of the 1st team defense. The numbers for the both quarterbacks aren't great, but they're not bad, either, considering that they were throwing mainly to tight ends and running backs on third-down and long situations by design.
WRs. Hmm. They said they were throwing mostly to tight ends and running backs, but the stat sheet doesn't really bear that out. Denarius Moore had four catches for 45 yards. Tyler Maples had 3-26, and then you get to the running backs. I don't see any tight ends with catches, unless Ben Lehning (?!) is a tight end. (NOTE: I just learned that he actually is a tight end, so there, me.) Anyway, Ahmad Paige has fallen behind the rest of the receivers due to having to recover from sliding head-first into a brick wall at an earlier scrimmage. The coaches are trying to help him get caught up. One of the main goals for the coaches with respect to the receivers is to make the best use of Quintin Hancock and Brandon Warren, as the system relies on a lot of short passes into traffic and therefore requires big, strong guys to outfight everyone else for the ball. That's what they say, anyway.
RBs. Montario Hardesty ran ten times for 29 yards before the coaches took him out just so they could get more looks at the second-string guys. Tauren Poole ran for 81 yards on 14 carries , but fumbled twice, one of which went out of bounds and the other of which was recovered by the defense. He recovered nicely, though, ripping off runs of 21, 19, and 16 yards after the fumbles. Toney Williams's first run went for 42 yards, and he had two touchdowns of four and two yards each. He finished with 84 yards on 14 carries. And yes, for those keeping score, that's 194 yards on the ground, which is 194 times the number of yards we gained against Georgia last year. And no, that joke will never get old.
DTs. Kiffin made a point of telling folks that 6'4", 312-pound Montori Hughes looks a lot like Albert Haynesworth, who observed practice from the sideline. Tip: Hughes doesn't have money growing out of his pores.
DBs. Demetrice Morley missed the scrimmage. Kiffin told the media that "[s]omething came up" and that he would fill them in on Tuesday after he talked with Morley. Rumor is that the issue "is related to discipline," which has to be the inside scoop of the year. Actually, there is more: Morley will apparently be allowed to return to practice on Tuesday, but will bat the rest of his Tennessee career with a full count.
The turnovers. Yeah, four fumbles and an interception = not good. But considering the emphasis the defense is placing on creating them, perhaps it's not as bad as it sounds. Plus, the offense was apparently at least moving the ball. Even the defense said so. So it must be true. Right? Right? . . . Right?
Mental mistakes. Kiffin believes that simply barking at someone for brain freeze penalties doesn't get the job done, so he punishes such things as false starts and offsides with think-about-it laps. He has data to back up the assertion that it will work: The New York Jets went from about 30th in the NFL in penalties to second in one year after implementing the rule. The rule only applies to mind fog, not to interceptions, drops, or fumbles, but Gerald Jones and Denarius Moore are doing it (with push ups on top) for dropping catchable passes.

Tennessee basketball

Flirting vs. being wanted. Pearl says he didn't flirt with Memphis. John Pennington doesn't believe him, but also doesn't fault him for it. I'm not sure that ending up with a raise after the Memphis rumors necessarily means that Pearl flirted or that he intentionally leveraged the rumor/offer into a raise. Simply being silent and letting things play out could very well have accomplished the same thing, and that's quite different from actually doing something to encourage it.
Jones staying. Associate head coach Tony Jones has withdrawn his name from consideration for the head coaching position at Boston University. Jones is an integral component of Pearl's staff, and him sticking around is a big deal.
Clay Travis debunks the notion that Tennessee isn't a basketball school.

SEC

John Adams is already awarding the SEC the Comeback Conference of the Year for basketball in 2009-10.

NCAA

Nunes Magician takes a look at what the post-season would look like for basketball if the NCAA used a BCS/bowl model rather than a 64-team Tournament.

Spring Position Battles: Wide Receivers & Tight Ends

Will — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:00:08 -0000

Check out our previous installments here:

Part Three of our look at the open competition spring battles that will unfold at Neyland Stadium (...Haslam Field?) next month features the wide receivers and tight ends. As we're once again being treated to the "get the ball to the playmakers" coachspeak, do the Vols have said playmakers on the depth chart already...and if not, what contributions can we expect from the incoming freshmen?

If the decline of Tennessee Football can be traced back to 2001, there's a very interesting parallel that runs along that same timeline with wide receivers. When the Vols were flying the Wide Receiver U banner, it was carried by names like Alvin Harper, Carl Pickens, Cory Fleming, Joey Kent, Marcus Nash, Peerless Price, Cedrick Wilson, Donte' Stallworth and Kelley Washington:

However, you can see the problem when the athletic department puts together a highlight reel like that (from April 2008) that doesn't feature any players from the last seven years.

Since "The Future" left us in 2002, Tennessee has seen one remarkable season from Robert Meachem in 2006...and that's about it. The Vols haven't had a definitive go-to playmaker except for Meachem for one season in the last six years...is there enough talent on this roster to start moving that trend in the opposite direction?

And good grief...can we get the ball to Brandon Warren?

The names and the questions after the jump...

Keep in mind, everyone's 2008 numbers are down because, well, we weren't very good at quarterback. Or offense in general.

THE RETURNING CONTRIBUTORS

Gerald Jones

6'0", 185 lbs - Junior
2008: 30 catches, 323 yds, 4 TDs
2007: 11 catches, 111 yds, 1 TD
Career Rushing: 31 carries for 184 yds (5.9 per), 3 TDs

In an open competition at a position where we produced so little in 2008, it's difficult to set any kind of order or probability for success with these guys. But Gerald Jones seems like the logical place to start.

If the Vols do have a playmaker already on the roster, wouldn't he be the best choice? Jones is the guy Phil Fulmer pointed out when asked about a dropoff in talent last season, saying something to the effect of "I'm sure plenty of other teams in the conference would want him." His versatility has been on display in the G-Gun package (though again, he has to throw out of it every now and then or it keeps no one honest). And as an added bonus to his apparent versatility, Jones is relatively sure-handed, and has - knock on wood - never fumbled in his Tennessee career.

Despite the quarterback issues and the task of learning a new offense, the question that has to be asked here is can Gerald Jones be a #1 receiver in the SEC? We've seen David Cutcliffe and Trooper Taylor take Lucas Taylor and turn him into one, and turn Robert Meachem from a bust into a first round draft pick. Jones has the raw ability - can the Vols find a way to utilize it at maximum efficiency, including the G-Gun sets?

Austin Rogers

6'2", 185 lbs - Senior
2008: 14 catches, 180 yds
2007: 56 catches, 624 yds, 4 TDs
Career High: 7 catches, 112 yds, 1 TD vs. Southern Miss ('07)

Rogers played the #2 receiver role well in 2007, but saw his playing time decrease dramatically along with the overall offensive production last season. So while there's precedent for #21 doing some good things, you also wonder what his role will be in the new offense. Is he a possession/third down option, can he be plugged back in to the #2 role...or will he disappear into obscurity again? I'm still okay with Austin because he did enough good for us two years ago to warrant that, I think he's a safe choice in the game, even if he's not a dynamic one. If the Vols can't find someone more dynamic this spring and none of the freshmen separate themselves this fall, you may be seeing more of this kid yet.

Denarius Moore

6'1", 185 lbs - Junior
2008: 11 catches, 271 yds, 2 TDs
2007: 14 catches, 212 yds
4 catches of 45+ yds in 2008

Again, what's his role? Moore was the definitive deep ball option for the Vols last year, especially when Nick Stephens was under center. I'm not sure if that qualifies Moore as a "playmaker" or not, but you know the ability to get past the DB and make a great catch (especially the one against Mississippi State) is there. If he's given more of an opportunity, what kind of contribution can he make? I like seeing this kid on the field because he's a home run threat...perhaps he can develop a more complete package this spring.

THE UNPROVEN OPTIONS

Quintin Hancock - 6'3", 200 lbs Senior
Ahmad Paige - 6'1", 180 lbs Sophomore

Two different and interesting scenarios...Hancock was a contributor in 2007, with 16 catches for 165 yards and 3 TDs. Then last season, he caught zero passes and only saw the field in four games. Meanwhile, Ahmad Paige is a kid whose talent you hear about constantly, but it never made it off the practice field, and the previous coaching staff questioned his desire and ability to handle adversity. Can Hancock get back in the rotation...and will we ever see anything from Paige?

You could also throw in here some possible position changes - like Brent Vinson - but they too would definitely qualify as unproven options, and until we see or hear something definitive from the coaches on such a move, it remains pure speculation and rumor.

THE INCOMING FRESHMEN

James Green - 6'2", 190 lbs, Rivals 4*
Nu'Keese Richardson - 5'10", 165 lbs, Rivals 4*
Zach Rogers - 6'2", 170 lbs, Rivals 3*

It's also a guessing game with these kids, though when Monte Kiffin called Richardson "the best player in America", it raises one's eyebrows. Richardson in particular will carry plenty of hype and baggage with him to Knoxville, the latter being not of his own doing, but a result of the Lane Kiffin-Urban Meyer skirmish of words.

The thought process places an emphasis on spring practice, because if the players on our current roster can't distinguish themselves by the end of the Orange & White Game, some of those looks in the fall will be given to these guys. Rogers is Austin's brother, while the other two evaded pursuit from a host of elite schools to come to Tennessee. Was there a promise of immediate playing time? Quality depth is certainly an issue at this position, especially if Hancock and Paige continue to stay on the bottom rung. Either way, should the Vols get in any four or five wide sets, they're almost guaranteed to have a freshman in them.

When the Vols were courting Marlon Brown, the thought was that he could come in and start for us right away. Nu'Keese is a totally different type of player (giving up six inches and forty pounds to Marlon)...but is he capable of filling the same starting role? Even if he's not, at least some of these young kids are going to be counted on to contribute right away...mixed with the stressful quarterback situation and playing SEC defenses, the learning curve will be immediate...it's up to these kids to determine how steep it will be.

THE TIGHT ENDS

Jeff Cottam - 6'8" 260 lbs Senior - 4 career catches
Aaron Douglas - 6'6" 280 lbs Redshirt Freshman
Luke Stocker - 6'6" 245 lbs Junior - 17 career catches
Brandon Warren - 6'1" 225 lbs Junior - 38 career catches (UT/FSU)

One position where we're not hurting for experience, or on-paper talent, is tight end.

The biggest question here is how Kiffin wants to use the position in his offense. A pro-style offense should see at least one of these guys on the field most of the time. You've got three different options with the big fellas, though they each have their issues: Cottam's never stayed healthy, Stocker had a horrendous case of the drops early last season that he never really got over, and Douglas is inexperienced. Still, all three are capable and have shown flashes, even if only on the practice field, of doing big things.

Then there's Brandon Warren, the perfect hybrid who caught the master of none end last season. The previous coaching staff said they tried to make him learn too many things at the start of the year, and that hampered his ability to contribute significantly. Warren ended the year with 10 catches and a lot of frustration; several times he'd be run on the field for one play, make the catch, and then head back to the sidelines for the rest of the half.

Full disclosure: Brandon Warren is from my alma mater, and I did play by play on his high school games at Alcoa for three years. So I pull ridiculously hard for this kid, and anyone from AHS (Rae Sykes for Heisman!), and I want so badly for the Vols to use him at all, and especially in the right way. I still believe very much that this is a kid that will make good things happen if you get him the ball, as Florida State did when he was freshman All-America in Tallahassee.

The best fit for the talent we have, in my lowly observation, would be to put two of these guys on the field at the same time, Brandon and one of the big boys. But I'm not sure I see Kiffin lining up with two tight ends a whole bunch. Still, if our quarterbacks struggle it may play more in that direction towards a power running game. We'll see.

Either way, the Vols have been vowing to get the ball to the tight end since Jason Witten walked through that door...and much like wide receiver, we haven't seen someone truly special at that position for more than a brief moment since Witten. Can the Vols utilize one of these guys to make that more of a reality in 2009?

THE QUESTIONS

All of this will play itself out in a few weeks...but for now, to recap:

Can Gerald Jones become a true #1 receiver for the Vols?
Can any of the returning contributors do more than play a limited backup role in this offense?
Are any of the incoming freshmen ready to step in and play right away?
What's the most effective way to use our tight ends?

Discuss.

Poll

Assuming Gerald Jones wins one starting spot, who lines up on the other side on the first play against Western Kentucky on September 5?

Denarius Moore

70 votes

Nu'Keese Richardson

74 votes

Austin Rogers

24 votes

someone else

15 votes

183 votes | Poll has closed